


Soul Surfer

by KaiJayWil



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura & Lance (Voltron) are Siblings, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Surfers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Surfer Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 01:30:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14822658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiJayWil/pseuds/KaiJayWil
Summary: Keith has never seen so much blood before in his life.





	Soul Surfer

Keith has never seen so much blood before in his life.

It was everywhere, he could see it spreading through the water. His only thought being, "Shit, he's going to fucking die. There's no way he's still alive. There's so much blood."

Still in shock, he can feel someone tugging on his arm, trying to get him out of the water. He can't hear anything other than the loud ringing in his ears and he thinks he's going to throw up. His only focus is on the body floating in the water, supported by a surf board. He can distantly make out what's going on. What's actually happened.

"...shark attack...get him...shoreline...we have to...bleeding..."

Nothing felt real. He wasn't even in his own body, but above, seeing what was going on but unable to act.

"-ith!"

This doesn't happen to people like him. This kind of thing only happens in movies, right? Not to people like him.

"Keith!"

He's snapped back to reality by a harsh slap on his cheek. He focuses in on what's going on in front of him. When did he get out of the water?

"Keith look at me! I need you here, with me, can you do that?"

Distantly, he feels himself nod. His brother is right. He needs to focus. He needs to help-

"Lance! Come on don't close your eyes! Stay with me come on! Help is coming; Shiro! He won't stop bleeding Shiro please I don't know what to do!"

Hunk has his shirt wrapped around what's left of Lance's arm, blood soaking through to the sand he's laying on.

Shiro grabs his shoulder, pulling his attention back to him, "Go to the truck, call an ambulance. Tell them there was a shark attack on Westpoint Bay, got it?"

He feels himself nod and then he's running. He's never run so fast in his life.

He's tripping over branches and there's dirt in his eyes but he's completely numb to it all. Nothing matters or even exists outside of getting to the phone he knows is sitting in the glove compartment.

When he gets to the truck, he realizes the door is locked.

"Shit!"

He looks around for something he could use to break the window, but all he sees are sticks and leaves. Before he can think about it he's ripped his shirt off and got it wrapped around his hand, beating on the glass as hard as he can with his fist.

It takes a minute, but eventually the window is shattering and he's reaching in, unlocking the truck and throwing the door open. Rustling through the glove box, he pulls out his brothers cell.

As he's dialing and putting the phone up to his ear he sees Shiro carrying a barely conscious Lance, Hunk sprinting ahead towards him.

"911 what is your emergency?"

He answers as he opens the back door for Shiro to lay Lance in, Hunk climbing in on the other side and taking Lance's head to lie it in his lap.

"There's been a sh-shark attack, um Westpoint Bay, I don't, I can't, he, um his arm, it took his arm!"

He's climbing in the passenger seat and the truck is flying down the dirt road before he even gets his door closed all the way.

* * *

* * *

Sometimes, things happen that no one can do anything about. No matter how hard you try, there's always something. 

Keith has always tried to control things. He's always had control of his life and what happens to him. Maybe that's why he has no idea how to act right now. 

Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for someone to tell him if the love of his life is even alive.

It doesn't feel real. It's like he's in a dream and any moment he's going to wake up and roll over and Lance will be there fast asleep. Safe.

His hand is in a cast, and Shiro is pacing in front of him, on the phone with someone, probably Allura.

"No he's still in surgery... I don't know they wont tell us anything... Yes they're both fine, they're here with me... Alright I'll see you in a bit then."

He hangs up the phone and runs his hand through his hair. He's done that about a hundred times since they made it in here, and his bangs are tinted pink from the dried blood flaking off.

"Allura is on her way with Pidge. She said they'll be here in about half an hour."

Neither Keith nor Hunk respond.

The door to the operating room slams open and all three men whirl towards to noise.

"Lance McClain?"

Hunk and Keith jump from their chairs, and walk with Shiro to meet the woman halfway.

None of them speak, waiting for any kind of news. Waiting for the Doctor in front of them to say something, anything about their friend.

"He's stable, at the moment. We had to take a skin graph from his hip to cover the wound entirely, but he should heal fine. He was very lucky to have been brought in as soon as he was. Any longer without treatment and he would've been gone."

A collective breath of relief is released from the three of them. Keith steps forward,

"Can we see him?"

The Doctor sighs before motioning for them to follow her.

"Yes, but he's not conscious. He'll likely be under for a few days. We've had someone contact his family, do you know if anyone is on their way?"

Shiro nods, stopping at the room the doctor has lead them too, "Yes his sister is on her way, she called me a while ago. She should be here soon."

There's a sign on the door that says 'Lance McClain, Critical' and it takes a moment for Keith's ears to stop ringing and actually grab the handle to pull it open.

It's darker in the room than out in the hall way, so it takes a minute for his eyes to adjust. When they do though, he thinks he might throw up.

He's never seen the Cuban boy look so pale. He's got deep bags under his eyes and if it weren't for the heart rate monitor and the slight rise and fall of the boys chest, Keith would think he wasn't even alive.

His shoulder is wrapped thickly in white gauze, blood already starting to seep through. Where his right arm is supposed to be, there's nothing but empty space. It shouldn't be possible to be so offended by nothing, but Keith finds it hard to breath, the air rushing from his lungs like he's in a vacuum.

Pulling up a chair, he sits on Lance's left side and takes his hand.

"I'm so sorry baby. I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so sorry."

* * *

* * *

 

Waking up is painful. Hes got a crick in his neck that leads down his back from sleeping slumped forward, and his hand is sweaty. 

When he sits up fully, he spares a glance around the room, seeing Hunk hunched in a chair on the other side of the bed, and Shiro, curled up on the couch at the foot of the bed. Allura and Pidge are tangled together on the opposite side of the couch, all four fast asleep. 

Looking at Lance is surreal. He's just as pale as before, and the bags under his eyes are still there; he looks like a corpse, but Keith forces himself to listen to the sound of his heart beating. He tries to focus on that, and it's not going very well, when Lance opens his eyes. 

Watching him look around the room in confusion, Keith sits in silence until Lance's gaze turns to him. The hand he's holding flexes, squeezing his own, when their eyes meet. 

"Hey baby." 

Keith's voice is soft, and rough from just waking up. He brings Lance's knuckles to his lips before looking back in his eyes.

"Water?"

Lance's voice isn't more than a whisper, and would've gone unheard if not for the otherwise quiet room. 

Reaching over, he grabs the plastic cup on the nightstand and lifts it to Lance's lips. 

"Here, just sip it, it'll make you sick otherwise."

When Lance is done drinking, Keith sets the cup back down.

"What happened?"

Keith winces and reluctantly explains,

"We were at Westpoint. There was an... accident. No one saw the shark until it was right up under you. It happened so fucking fast, Lance I thought you were..." 

He pauses, taking a deep breath and wiping his eyes,

"I thought I lost you. We were moving as fast as we could but I didn't know... I didn't think you would even make it to the car."

Lance is squeezing his hand again, trying to get his attention. 

"Hey, hey it's okay. I'm okay, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere Keith I'm right here."

His body moves in an aborted attempt to bring his other arm around and comfort Keith, before realizing for the first time that somethings wrong. 

"Holy shit. Holy fuck. Holy fucking shit what." 

His heart rate speeds up with his breathing, effectively waking the other people in the room as he slips into a panic, unable to take his eyes off of where his arm is supposed to be.

"Hey baby, hey look at me, look at me it's okay. Its gonna be okay just look at me." 

Letting go of Lance's hand, Keith looks over at Shiro, motioning for him to go get the nurse, before taking Lance's head in both hands and forcing his eyes towards him. 

"There you go, hey look at me, it's okay. I'm here, it's okay. Just breathe baby, breathe. Breathe with me, okay?" 

Lance has got his hand on Keith's chest, attempting to mimic his breathing when the nurse rushes into the room, Shiro following close behind. 

 Keith is pushed out of the way and the nurse crowds Lance, whispering to him, trying to get him to breathe properly. 

After what feels like forever, Lance finally calms down and Keith is able to move back to his side. 

Lance still looks terrified and as soon as he makes eye contact with Keith, he bursts into tears.

* * *

* * *

Lance is asleep when Keith wakes up again, his eyes puffy and nose stuffed. He's curled around Lance's body, his arms wrapped around his chest and his legs tangled with the other boy's. 

Sitting up, he tries not to wake the sleeping boy, but Lance has always been a light sleeper, and he wakes as soon as Keith pulls his arm out from under him. 

"Hey, sorry I didn't mean to wake you up."

Lance just shrugs his shoulder, "It's fine, I feel like I've been sleeping too much anyway."

"Definitely not, you need the rest. How are you feeling?"

Attempting a grin, Lance pushes out, "I'm okay. Still a little freaked but I'm fine. Really."

He adds the last part after an unbelieving glance from Keith. 

"You know you don't have to be okay all the time, right? I think now is a perfect example of a time where it's okay for you to be freaked out."

Lance's grin falls, "I know. It just doesnt feel real. I just keep waiting for myself to wake up, y'know? Even though I know it's not going to happen. Even though I know I'm stuck like this." 

Keith leans down, placing a light kiss on Lance's brow,

"It may not be a dream, and you may not be able to wake up, but I've never been more glad for you to just be breathing. I thought I lost you out there, baby. I dont know what I would've done if you were gone."

Lance wraps his arm around Keith's back, pulling him down onto him and hugging him tightly.

"I'm here. It takes more than a lousy shark to take me out."

Keith smiles into Lance's neck, snuggling into him,

"Don't ever scare me like that again, you ass."

They fall asleep like that, and Keith knows they'll be okay when they wake up.


End file.
